The Chinese University of Hong Kong, founded in 1963, aspires to be acknowledged
regionally and internationally as a first-class comprehensive research university. The
University offers a broad spectrum of programmes up to PhD level in various disciplines
organized under eight Faculties (viz. Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering,
Law, Medicine, Science and Social Science), with a team of over 2,000 full-time teaching
and research staff. In 2009-10, undergraduate and postgraduate enrolment in publicly-funded
programmes stands close to 11,500 and 3,100 respectively (http://www.cuhk.edu.hk).

The Faculty of Science comprises six Departments: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry,
Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics, and one School: Chinese Medicine, and also offers
a number of multidisciplinary programmes: Cell and Molecular Biology, Environmental
Science, Food and Nutritional Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology, Mathematics and
Information Engineering (double degree), Quantitative Finance and Risk Management
Science (double major), and Risk Management Science. The Faculty has 300 full-time
teaching and research staff, 1,600 undergraduate students and 500 postgraduate research
students. Detailed information on the Faculty is available at http:www.cuhk.edu.hk/sci/.

A new School of Life Sciences will be established within the Faculty of Science through
re-organization of teaching and research programmes in the existing Departments of
Biochemistry and Biology. The School will ultimately have more than 40 academic
staff, about 900 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate students. World-class research
facilities are available. The School will create synergies in research and scholarship,
and provide the institutional framework for taking advantage of exciting new
opportunities in modern life sciences, both within the Faculty of Science and also in
collaboration with other Faculties.

The School will offer six undergraduate major programmes and corresponding research
postgraduate programmes in Biochemistry, Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology,
Environmental Science, Food and Nutritional Sciences, and Molecular Biotechnology; and
also two taught MSc programmes: Biochemical and Biomedical Sciences, and Nutrition,
Food Science and Technology. The School will enter a period of expansion with the
introduction of the Cell and Molecular Biology programme in 2009-10 and the revival of
a four-year normative undergraduate curriculum in 2012-13.

Applicants should be academics with (i) an outstanding record of scholarship appropriate for
a senior appointment at professor level in a discipline of life sciences; (ii) an appreciation
of the breadth and depth of research and educational activities in life sciences, in particular
the opportunities ahead for cutting-edge research; (iii) experience in leading well-funded,
internationally-recognized, and preferably multi-disciplinary collaborative research
programmes; (iv) demonstrated leadership and management ability at an appropriate level in
higher education institutions; (v) long-term vision for the development of the School into a
centre of research excellence; and (vi) excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

As the academic and executive head of the School reporting to the Dean of the Faculty
of Science, the appointee will (a) be responsible for the vision and stewardship of the
School; (b) undertake overall responsibility for academic, financial, staff and student
matters; and (c) provide strong leadership in the re-organization process, particularly
in planning and leading research directions of the School. Appointment will initially
be made on contract basis for up to five years commencing as soon as possible, which,
subject to mutual agreement, may lead to longer-term appointment or substantiation later.
The selected candidate will also be offered a full professorship appointment in a subject
related to his/her own speciality area of scholarly interests, to be held concomitantly with
the Directorship of the School.

Consideration of applications/nominations will begin in January/February 2010 and
will continue until the post is filled. The University reserves the right to fill the post
by invitation.

[Note: Those who have responded to the previous advertisement for this post (under the
same Ref. no.) need not re-apply on this occasion.]

Salary and Fringe Benefits

Salary will be highly competitive, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The
University offers a comprehensive fringe benefit package, including medical care, plus a
contract-end gratuity for an appointment of two years or longer, and housing benefits for
eligible appointee.

Further information about the University and the general terms of service for appointments
is available at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/personnel. The terms mentioned herein are for
reference only and are subject to revision by the University.